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Chelmsford tree trunk to become bench

Most of the stately beech tree on Chelmsford s Common was taken down last fall. The trunk remained, but that will be removed and likely used to make a bench.

CHELMSFORD -- The trunk of the towering beech tree on the Town Common that was taken down last November will also be removed but kept in storage.

The town had planned to keep the massive trunk in place and turn it into a sculpture that would memorialize the 120-year-old tree. But bids were too expensive, especially considering the relatively short lifespan the sculpture would have, Andy Silinsh, co-chairman of the Tree Committee, told selectmen last week.

Instead, the trunk will be removed, kept in storage and likely used to make a bench, Silinsh said. The board unanimously voted in favor of that step, as well as selling pieces of the remaining wood to anyone who wanted to use it.

Anyone who wants to create something out of the wood will be able to obtain it at no cost. Others will have to pay $1, $5 or $10, depending on the size of the piece.

A bench made from the 8-foot trunk could cost about $1,500, Silinsh said. Bids for a sculpture were "quite high," he said, without giving prices. The bench could be placed at the trunk site.

About 10 people have expressed interest in using wood from the tree, and there could be more interest if the public knew they would be able to buy pieces, said Alison LeFlore, the town's conservation agent. The town's prices are significantly less than what people would find elsewhere, she said.

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The tree was taken down last November after two arborists who were asked by the town to study the tree said it had "obvious signs of decay" and was in "imminent danger of failure."

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